Soul of a Man (song)

"The Soul of a Man"
Single by Blind Willie Johnson
B-side	Church, I'm Fully Saved Today
Released	1930
Format	10" 78 rpm record
Recorded	Atlanta, Georgia April 20, 1930
Genre	Gospel blues
Length	3:13
Label	Columbia (No. 150312)
Blind Willie Johnson singles chronology
"Can't Nobody Hide from God" "If It Had Not Been For Jesus" (1930) "The Soul of a Man" "Church, I'm Fully Saved To-Day" (1930) "Go with Me to That Land" "Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right" (1930)

"(The) Soul of a Man" is a gospel blues song recorded by Blind Willie Johnson in 1930.^[1] As with most of Johnson's songs, it deals with a spiritual theme within a blues musical framework. Accompanying Johnson (vocal and guitar) is Willie B. Harris, sometimes identified as his first wife, who sang harmony on the refrain:

Well won't somebody tell me
Answer if you can!
I want somebody to tell me
Just what is the soul of a man?

The song was released during the Depression "when the mood of the country had darkened"^[2] and in 1930, Johnson's records, with their religious themes, were "selling almost twice as many copies as Bessie Smith, and three and four times as many as most of the country blues artists".^[2] "The Soul of a Man" was the second to the last of Blind Willie Johnson's singles. The song is included on several Johnson compilation albums, such as The Complete Blind Willie Johnson (1993) and The Soul of a Man (2003).

"Soul of a Man" has been recorded by various artists, usually with variations in the musical accompaniment. Some include: Eric Burdon, Bruce Cockburn, Doug Cox, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Tom Jones, David Lindley, Maria Muldaur, Monte Montgomery, Irma Thomas, Ollabelle, and Tom Waits.

References

1. Wirz, Stefan. "Blind Willie Johnson discography". Retrieved February 10, 2015.
2. Samuel, Charters (1993). The Complete Blind Willie Johnson (Media notes). Blind Willie Johnson. Columbia/Legacy. p. 31. C2K 52835.